Eat Mor Chikin

As an Atlanta native there are several things that I instinctively love; Coke, the Atlanta Braves, traffic (not really), road names that start with the word "Peach", Piedmont Park, and most importantly, the holy grail of fast food...CHICK-FIL-A.


Heaven.

In addition to Chick-Fil-A being Grandmother's favorite "window food", it is my favorite food...period. This has not gone unnoticed by my father who gave me a Chick-Fil-A gift card for Christmas this year (Shout out to Dad!). I don't think that the Chick-Fil-A near my house hated this gift either. The first time I used the card [Saturday morning, chicken biscuit, hash browns, sweet tea. Standard.] the manager swiped the card and said "You have [insert typical gift card remaining balance here]...WHOA! Someone gave you a nice Christmas gift". Now, for a second I felt like "Fatty Patty", however, I smiled proudly at the manager and I said "Yes sir! My dad loves me!". And then I skipped out the door...almost.

Anyway, I am already planning on proudly presenting my gift card tomorrow morning and then having what will undoubtedly be the best day ever, thanks to my breakfast of champions. Thanks for reading!

Mary

I Just Felt Like Running

Post-college I developed a strange passion for running. I say that it is strange because if you knew me pre- (and during) college, you would know that I was never much of a "runner"; always athletic enough to get by in high school sports but never someone who enjoyed running. Somewhere after graduation that changed and I am now frustrated on the days when I can't run; I will bring my running shoes on vacation and make sure there is time allotted in my day for a jog, it is all quite odd.

I run to clear my head and have some time alone. Some days the run is obviously definitely better, faster, and longer than other days but it is always therapeutic. So, today as the sun is poking through and I am emerging from my lunchtime coma, I feel like I could run for hours. I know this is not the case but today I just feel like running.


When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.


Yup, Forrest and I are pretty much one and the same.

"Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!"

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Man's Best Friend

Since graduating in May, Blair has expressed his wish to own a dog. He has already picked out a name and everything (which, by the way he has requested that I not share with you all so people don't "steal" his dog name...). I, "Debbie Downer" have cautioned this as Blair works long hours, lives alone, and is frequently out of town; none of these being fair to a dog. I do however know that Blair would be a fantastic dog owner. A very friendly, happy person himself, I can only imagine the friendly, happy dog that I am sure he will own one day. I know they will be two peas in pod.

Keeping this in mind, please imagine how sad/sweet I found this picture to be from MSNBC's, "The Week in Pictures"...

This dog's owner was killed in the landslides in Brazil and her dog has sat by her grave for 3 consecutive days now. Heart. Wrenching. I could not stop thinking about the attachment that dogs and their owners develop for each other so while I am prepared for the day that Blair gets a dog and forgets about me, I just don't know if Blair and his future dog are prepared for the day that they meet each other.

Thanks for reading!

Mary

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Girl Scout Cookies are heeeeere!

["Oprah" voice]

Second to Christmas, St. Simons week, the 4th of July...ok, well second to a lot of things, Girl Scout Cookie season is the best.



Hallelujah!

Marsha and I were just trading "Girl Scout Cookie" stories, allow me to share; first, different cookie variations are sold in different states (i.e. No "Caramel Delights" in Georgia, no "Tagalongs" in South Carolina), this is sad news as Tagalongs are my favorite.

This also brings back very bitter memories of being a Girl Scout during "Cookie Season" when I would roam my neighborhood for hours upon hours [large exaggeration] trying to sell the most cookies and win Girl Scout hairbrush or whatever particular prize I had my eye on that year was. However, there was this one girl in my troop (I will not name names) whose dad was a doctor and he took her cookie form to the hospital and she always sold like 48967324965934 gazillion boxes. As a result I always "won" the "Oh-you-didn't-sell-near-enough-cookies-but-we-can't-not-give-you-a-prize" badge. I should probably let this go...

Despite my competitive memories, Girl Scout cookies also make me think of Grandmother's house. When my sister and I were younger and traveled over to Grandmother and Fado's, I was also given a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup (mine and Fado's favorite), Laura was always given a piece of cheese (her favorite, bahahahaha). Following Fado's passing it become more routine for Grandmother to offer us vanilla "Activia" (option #1) or Girl Scout Cookies (option #2). So after a  lunch of hot dogs, Frito's and a Coke or Chick-Fil-A, I will sit on her sofa, watch TCM, and snack on my Thin Mints that have probably been in the freezer since I sold them to Grandmother in 1996. Life is good. (For more on Grandmother, click here)

Thanks for reading and visiting Girl Scout Cookie memory lane with me. I shall now ponder my cookie order for hours...

Mary

A Big Day in May

Our friends Mary Loyal and Lash are getting married in May and this weekend we celebrated their engagement in Beaufort. After a beautiful party, the Wofford crowd migrated to bar and then a group of us made an unsuccessful trip to McDonald's in a cab (which is probably a whole other post in itself).Unfortunately my camera spent most of the night hibernating in Blair's pocket but our friend Chett kidnapped Anna's camera and acted as "Flash" for the night...

The bride-to-be and her maid of honor

The happy couple; such a great picture!

I would like to thank Chett for capturing this special moment.

Bar #1....

T-r-o-u-b-l-e.

It was such a great weekend. It is obvious from spending time with Mary Loyal, Lash, and their families how excited they all are. It really is so special when people include you at such important events in their lives and I can't wait for their big day in May; thanks for reading!

Mary

Brad, Blogs, & Beans

Yes, I am an avid "Bachelor/Bachelorette" watcher. For those of you passing judgement right now I have no solid defense to offer for myself. I know the whole premise of the show is ridiculous and for some equally ridiculous reason I feel so shocked when the couple breaks up six months after the show is done filming. Oh well. However, now, in addition to watching the show itself, I have been introduced to "I Hate Green Beans". Excellent. I can just feel my I.Q. plummeting...


Dear Brad, you creep out my roommate Sam but we watch you anyway.

"I Hate Green Beans" is a blog that focuses solely on the "Bachelor/Bachelorette" and it is hilarious. I was introduced to it by a girl at work and have re-read multiple posts various times and always laugh at something new. So, if you too enjoy shamelessly watching Brad then you will also enjoy this. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!

Mary

Snow Day!

That's right. Yesterday work was canceled because of the "winter storm" that hit Columbia. This resulted in a day of snow/fun-filled activities; such as snunch (snow lunch), snalks (snow walks...I think you are starting to get the idea), snaps, sneers (snow beers, sorry Mom & Dad!), Snachelor, and the Snational Snampionship. I looove snow! Please see below for some snhotos...

SNOOOW!

You know you live in South Carolina when...

The yard of the Yellow House Estate.

This hill=The reason for snalking.

The backyard of the estate

Thanks for sneading!

Mary

Babysitting to Boston

I am a traveling day dreamer. Yes, I know this is a horrible habit for someone my age to have but I can't help it. I think that it originally stems from travel envy, when I see photos from trips that friends or family have taken and hear their stories I tend to add that particular place to my "Must travel to one day" list. Not all of my dream destinations are international though and this article that I read this morning about Boston has moved Boston up on the list of U.S. cities to see.

I have wanted to travel to Boston for a while now (Yes, the history nerd rides again...Paul Revere joke, anybody? No? Ok...) and articles like the one mentioned above make it all the more encouraging for people traveling on a budget, like, yours truly. In addition to seeing Lexington, Concord, and Salem, I would also like to visit Harvard. I know Harvard is technically in Cambridge, MA but this is definitely something I think I could make into an all day trip. My father's father, "Pa" went to law school here after his time in the service in WWII and I would like to be able to at least spend a day or so in a place that impacted his life and career, and mine in turn. And not to mention it is beautiful...


It even looks like smart people go here, not me obviously.



Hey, I know you!



Sorry Wofford, this beats Burwell.

So, until I can make the trek in person I will save up my babysitting pennies and one day I will get to see all of the Revolutionary War history Boston has to offer, get witchy in Salem, and pretend like I am a student at Harvard; nothing too impossible to dream. Thanks for reading!

Mary

Snaps of 2011

Like I said (and only oh so slightly later than promised), these are the pictures from Atlanta Christmas and now New Years. Enjoy, oh and thanks again CoolPix.

The "Grown-Up" table. I am not allowed...

Me, "Sister", and Mom

Courtyard of Oak Grove Methodist, b-e-a-utiful

This picture does not even begin to do this snowman justice.

New Years!



Megan and I, we hated dancing at the party...

 Thanks new camera and thanks for reading!

Mary

Eye Yigh Yigh

Happy 2011!! I hope everyone had a very happy/safe New Year!! I know I have promised pictures of Atlanta's White Christmas and now have pictures to share from New Years but something much more pressing has come up; my vision.


2011 got off to a rocky start as a few minutes after midnight a perfect stranger felt the need to get sick on my foot...but that's neither here nor there. The real issue is that I have managed, yet again, to inflict injury upon myself.


Yesterday morning as I was putting in my contacts, the right eye first, I am a creature of habit; my right eye began to burn and tear quite badly. In a rush to get dressed and packed to go home I blinked a few times and tried not to focus on the discomfort that persisted throughout the day. Mistake number one. Last night I poke and prod at my eye for what feels like forever trying to get this contact out and then decide to sleep with it in with the hope that in the morning my contact will be so dry that it will just fall right out of my eye. Mistake number two.


I wake up and my eye is RED. Like Mary-might-be-a-zombie red. So I shower and hope that it will calm down, fail. I call my mom in a panic and drown my right eye in contact solution but this thing will not budge so off to work in my glasses I go. After a few "Oh, I didn't know you wore glasses comments" I finally ask my boss for the name of a good eye doctor as I think I am doing more harm than good trying to remove my contact on my own...


After a long stint in the waiting room the doctor confirms that I have, in fact, done much more harm than good as I have managed to scratch my eyeball and give myself pink eye. WHAT!? I did not even know that was possible. He also informs me that my contact is nowhere to be found in my eye so I guess it is just floating around in my skull mocking me. So, a few prescriptions and co-workers not wanting to get to close later, I sincerely hope that I am on the road to recovery.


So 2011, I have seen better days (literally) but I will not be defeated by you yet. However, if this pink eye experience is similar to the one I had in college I will eventually surrender. Thanks for reading!


Mary